340 acres could transfer in June

HAMPTON — Visitors passing through the main gate at Fort Monroe are no longer halted by armed guards. But make no mistake, the Army still owns every acre of land from Continental Park to the northern tip of Dog Beach.

A bureaucratic pirouette is taking place behind the scenes as officials from the state and Army continue to negotiate the method of Fort Monroe's transfer to the commonwealth of Virginia and the National Park Service.

After a couple of delays, the state and military expect pieces of the 565-acre site to transfer as soon as next month.

The Fort Monroe Authority and National Park Service are also planning how Fort Monroe will be used for years to come.

For now though, the Army still owns the historic property.

Transferring the land

The Army now expects to transfer a 372-acre stretch of land including the inner moat, Wherry Quarter, historic village and as far north as the former officer's club in June, said Army spokesman Dave Foster.

This comes six months after a January deadline to transfer that area. The delay was caused because contractors were still cleaning hazardous areas, Foster said.

A 38.8-acre half-moon-shaped parcel bordering Mill Creek, the 322-slip marina and a 72-acre area of Dog Beach are expected to transfer after June on a schedule that hasn't been determined, the Army spokesman said.

The half moon area and marina could potentially generate significant revenue at Fort Monroe, wrote Fort Monroe officials in a response to questions. The Fort Monroe Authority — which acts as an entity for the state — and the Army are still developing a set of documents outlining the terms and conditions of the property transfer for those two areas.

Negotiations have lasted more than a year.

U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Virginia Beach, said his office will help moderate talks between the Army and the commonwealth.

"I'd hope we could come up with a methodology to this that's reasonable and reflects the reality of the situation," Rigell said on an April 11 visit to Fort Monroe. "The process is quite complex, so it's going to take a lot of cooperation and collaboration to navigate all of this."

The master plan

As the state and Army clear the bureaucratic red tape, the Fort Monroe Authority, National Park Service and city of Hampton are all going through planning processes.

Using funding from theU.S. Department of DefenseOffice of Economic Adjustment, the Fort Monroe Authority expects to spend about $500,000 for a master plan now being drawn up by Sasaki Associates.

That bill could change based on the scope of work performed by the Boston-based firm.

Any delays in the transfer process are not expected to limit the planning process, according to the Fort Monroe Authority.

"In order to ensure that an effective master plan is created, it is important to look at the entire 565 acres as one operation unit, even though it will be owned by different parties," wrote Fort Monroe Authority officials.

Even though a majority of the land at the former post is scheduled to transfer next month, Fort Monroe officials have said they have no plans to sell property or make any significant changes to the property until after the planning process is complete.

Preservationists held a public campaign to extend the Wherry Quarter into the National Park Service boundary to protect the land from development.

Park service presence

Even though it doesn't own any property yet, the National Park Service is creating a presence at Fort Monroe.

Park Superintendent Kirsten Talken-Spaulding said public programs are already being scheduled.

"We want to continue to be a part of a partnership that seeks the grandest future as possible for Fort Monroe," Talken-Spaulding said.

The park service is also soliciting public comment for the 325 acres that will eventually transfer from the Army.

"We really want a planning process that is holistic and doesn't have a stovepipe approach to just the park service area," the superintendent said. "We want to work with the city and Fort Monroe Authority to provide a full slate of activities for visitors."

A portion of the land designated for the National Park Service monument isn't expected to be transferred in the near future.

"It is our understanding that the property which will transfer directly from the Army to the National Park Service requires additional environmental remediation and is scheduled to be the last transfer out of Army possession," Fort Monroe Authority officials said.

Environmental cleanup

Dog Beach is slated to transfer to the National Park Service although that won't happen until the Army tests and, if necessary, cleans a landfill used prior to 1970 in that area.

Scientists have already found construction debris, household solid waste and incinerator ash on the site. The debris will not hinder the National Park Service from using the land for recreational purposes, according to a presentation given in February to the Fort Monroe Restoration Advisory Board.